The Chief Executive of Warwickshire County Council has defied the authority’s newly elected Reform leadership by refusing to take down a Pride flag, leading Zia Yusuf to warn that “a coup d’etat is underway in Britain”. The Telegraph has the story.
George Finch, the new leader of Warwickshire County Council, ordered Monica Fogarty to take down the banner flying outside county hall in line with the party’s manifesto policy to only fly British flags.
But Ms Fogarty, who previously headed the county’s race equality partnership, refused and said: “I am afraid I will not be taking the action that you are requesting.”
Zia Yusuf, the head of Reform’s department of government efficiency, claimed the refusal showed that “a coup d’etat is under way in Britain”. He accused Ms Fogarty of “subversion of democracy” and acting like the “monarch of Warwickshire”.
Mr Yusuf said: “Unelected bureaucrats are defying instructions from duly elected officials. They’ve seized control of the country, sabotaging the will of the people.”
Reform won the most seats in Warwickshire during local elections in May, when it secured a foothold in local government for the first time. It won 22 seats and now runs the county as a minority administration.
The party’s local election pledges included only flying the Union Flag and other British symbols such as the St George’s Cross outside municipal venues.
The banner flown was not the traditional rainbow flag but the more recent Progress Pride one, which includes the colours of the trans rights movement.
In her earlier response to the request to take the flag down, Ms Fogarty – whose salary is between £196,303 and £213,001 and varies each year on a four-point scale based on performance – wrote:
From: Monica Fogarty, Warwickshire County Council CEO
To: George Finch
RE: Flags
Dear George,
I am afraid I will not be taking the action that you are requesting.
Hitherto the decisions around which flags to fly at Shire Hall have been left to me as CEO. This has been the custom and practice for the duration of my tenure as CEO end I have never received a request or instruction from an elected member or the Leader on such a matter.
The Pride flag has been flown annually during Pride month for many years and I see no reason to diverge from this approach.
I had agreed with Councillor Howard that both the flag of St. George and the Pride flag would be flown and in my view that arrangement continues.
This council does not have a formal policy around decision making on the flying of flags and should you wish to promote the introduction of such a policy then this would be a matter to be agreed as an Executive Decision.
The Union Flag is flying over old Shire Hall as it does permanently.
The Armed Forces Flare also flying this week in recognition of Armed Forces Week.
The Fade Flag is due to come clown after the coming weekend at which point the Ukrainian Flag will be lifted again.
Given that there are currently three flags only at the front of Shire Hall there is then a decision as to whether the Union Or the County flag be hoisted.
Regards,
Monica
The flag was taken down on Monday in line with her statement that it would come down at the end of Pride month.
Worth reading in full.
The Telegraph today has an interview with George Finch, the 18 year-old council leader, who stepped in after the recently elected leader, Rob Howard, quit citing health reasons last week.
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